Today’s song is a bit of whimsy with serious consequences. By the time Elbow recorded their fourth album — the Mercury Prize winning The Seldom Seen Kid — they had refined a distinctive sound drawing on many traditions. A finely tuned unit, the quintet blended all their sounds in a smart variety of ways. Singer Guy Garvey famously observed that guitar rock often neglected dynamic range, whereas Elbow wanted each album to be a journey.

An Audience With the Pope is a wry bit of obsession. Garvey sings of a series of obligations, including the titular meeting and “saving the world at eight.” In each case, however, he’ll drop everything “if she says she needs me.” So powerful is the grip of the woman who keeps him waiting that her summons trumps everything. It’s clever, urgent, and nicely delivered.